Fortnum & Mason

On March 1, 2012 Fortnum & Mason was honored to welcome HM The Queen, the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duchess of Cambridge to its Piccadilly store. The Queen was shown the many products designed to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee. Fortnum's holds two royal warrants for HM The Queen and HRH The Prince of Wales.

The store is world famous for their hampers as shown in the photo below with the Royal family.  

Photo from Fortnum & Mason Web Site

HM The Queen, the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duchess of Cambridge leaving Fortnum's following their visit.

Photo from Fortnum & Mason Web Site

181 Piccadilly, London, England - Fortnum & Mason's address since 1707.  Who wouldn't want to go inside and shop after viewing their beautiful window displays?   I've never had Afternoon Tea at their Fourth Floor St. Jame's Restaurant, but I would like to if I ever go back again.   I brought back some of their fudge for my dad on my first visit.

I was the recipient of a Fortnum & Mason Buckingham Christmas Hamper in 2010.   What a wonderful gift that was!

It contained Chocolate Gold Coins, Old English Hunt Marmalade, Stem Ginger Shortbread, Strawberry Preserves, and 4 oz. tins of Royal Blend and Earl Grey Classic Teas - all tucked inside a reusable wicker "suitcase."  [Which I have used many times.]

Tea was Fortnum's first specialty and a mainstay of their business.  They are one of Britain's foremost tea merchants.  The "Royal Blend" was first blended in 1902 for King Edward VII, and has been popular ever since.  It is a sturdy blend of Ceylon & Assam teas, perfect for breakfast with a splash of milk.  When you have time, have a look at their web site.  It's very interesting and will keep you occupied for a while.   Fortnum & Mason teas can be purchased at Williams-Sonoma stores here in the States.

Prime Minister Earl Grey gave his name to this popular tea in 1830 and it is thought of as a classic English afternoon tea.  It is a simple black tea flavored with oil of bergamot.  Fortnum & Mason's blend is very pleasant and not overpowering as some Earl Greys can be. 

  

Today I made a honey, sultana, and pecan tea bread from the Tea at Fortnum & Mason cookbook.

I used my new Salter food scale for weighing grams, which really simplified the recipe - it eliminated metric conversions.  In the photo below the golden raisins [sultanas] are all measured out and ready to soak in Earl Grey tea.

The finished loaf of tea bread.  The recipe is a winner!

The Octagon House

In Washington, MI is a unique house called "The Octagon House."   It's only about thirteen miles from where I live so I drove there over the weekend to photograph it.  

It is estimated that several thousand octagon houses were built in the United States  during the 1800's [mostly in the eastern states], but less than 500 of these rare, Victorian-era houses exist today.

A man by the name of Loren Andrus received a land patent for over 300 acres of property in the 1840's.  A friendly rivalry between him and three other Macomb County pioneering families ensued over who could build the most unusual house.   With the help of his brother-in-law [who was an architect] and a book written by Orson Fowler [the leading authority and promoter of the eight-sided wonder homes] Loren began building the Octagon House in 1858.  He was nearly bankrupt by the time his house was completed two years later, but he won the contest! 

Today, 152 years later, a brick engraved with Loren's signature is still embedded in the exterior wall near the front door.   The Octagon House is Italianate in style and is surrounded on six sides by a Corinthian-columned porch.  It has a cedar shake shingled roof, with elegant scrolled brackets which support the octagonal cupola.  The house has eight sides, with eight-foot windows for  lots of natural light during the day. 

Between 1894-1945 the Octagon House changed owners nine times.   In 1971 the house was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but in 1974, due to its deterioration,  it was condemned.  Days before demolition, the house was saved and an on-going effort of restoration and care currently exists through a non-profit organization called "Friends of the Octagon House, Inc.". 

Fund-raiser theme teas are frequently held at the Octagon House and are usually sell-outs.  My girlfriend and I attended a Christmas Tea there in 2005.

The menu was freshly baked lemon or cranberry scones with Devonshire Cream and Octagon preserves [made from fruit grown on the property].  Savories:  mini quiche; roast beef and horseradish spread roll-up; Paté choux filled with chicken salad; ham roll-up;  tuna salad on wheat bread; sweetened cream cheese w/dried cherries and walnut pinwheel.  Desserts were a variety of petite pastries: cheesecake; ribbon cookies; cranberry white chocolate shortbread;, pumpkin spice pecan mini-muffin; and cream cheese brownie.   They serve a signature Octagon House tea blend.

My granddaughter has been learning about the house in school, since it was part of the Underground Railroad, and she's very interested in seeing the inside of the house.   When I saw they will be hosting an antique show on June 9th, I told her we'd go.   After a seven year time lapse, I think it's time I return for a visit.

Octagon structures were supposedly less expensive to build, they offered additional living area by using every inch of space, they received more natural light through their multiple large windows, they were easier to heat in the winter, and they remained cooler in the summer.   Anyone for an octagon house???

A Garage Sale Find for Tea Time

This past Saturday my hubby noticed a garage sale in progress across the street.  Being a  social person, he walked over to  talk to the neighbors.  Shortly thereafter there was a knock at our front door.  It was my hubby standing there holding a large box which he said contained something I would like.  It was a never-been-used 17-piece tea set, still in its original box - for $10.00! 

It isn't fine bone china, but it's very pretty.  The pattern is "Romeo & Juliet," and the porcelain has an iridescent, high-gloss glaze.  It reminds me of a scene on a table lamp that sat in my parent's living room when I was growing up.   What a fun find, and time will tell when the tea set shows up at a tea party!

Because You Asked...

On April 4th I wrote about a traveling tea party  I did for my mother and aunt.  In that post I showed the photo below of a napkin folded into the shape of a rose, and placed inside  a teacup. 

I received a request asking if I would share on my blog how it's done.   I can't take credit for the folding  technique,  but  I'm  happy to  provide the link to the "how-to" video I watched produced by Southern Lady Magazine. http://www.southernladymagazine.com/video_napkin.asp.  

Have fun making napkin roses, and I hope they bring you lots of raves!

Pansies - Loving Thoughts

In the language of flowers, pansies are said to mean loving thoughts... remembrance.

The above English Bone China tea set was purchased in 1998 while visiting Ohio's Amish country in anticipation of my first-born granddaughter's first "real" tea party at my house.   Since she was only six years old, I bought her a demitasse cup in the same pattern for the tea party, which I gave to her.  Someday the whole tea set will be hers.

I purchased Davidson's children's tea for the occasion, and after Tiffany's first sip she promptly proclaimed she didn't like tea!   Not to worry, we refilled the pot with lemonade and the tea party happily continued on.   I'm glad to report she now likes tea! ;-)

Here's to loving thoughts of your first tea party,  Tiffany!
[I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of the tea party!]

"Petals" Dishware

As you have discovered, I like dishware.  A couple of years ago I started collecting  dishes made by Federal Glass in the "Petals" pattern.  They come in clear and iridescent glass, gold, smoke, blue, and carnival iridescent.  My collection only consists of the clear glass.   The pattern is supposed to represent the petals of a sunflower, but I think the dishes resemble stars, so I've always used them within that context for my tablescapes.  

The dishes were made between 1954-1979.  My mother had several pieces when I was growing up, but they were long gone by the time I started my collection.  It's fun that they have a memory connection to my childhood. 

While browsing in an antique store last week I spotted a luncheon/salad plate for only $6 and I was happy to bring it home.   This size is the most difficult to find - at least in my area.  

If I were doing a Titanic tea this year, I would use my  glitzy, elegant-looking petals dishes  to parallel the opulent glamour of the First Class passengers the night of April 14th, before their peril.  The dishes also elude to the icy waters of the North Atlantic, and the starry sky at 11:40 p.m. when the ship fatally struck the iceberg and foundered in less than three hours.   Respectfully remembering all who perished.

Following are photos of teas using my petals dishes combined with  blue Moderntone Depression Glass dishes by Hazel Atlas.  The first was a 2010 Epiphany tea for my neighbor ladies, where the star theme was symbolic of the star in the east that led the wise men to the Christ-child.   

A year later I gave a tea for some friends using the same tablescape with the theme, "Follow your star [dream]  in 2011."

Soup

Salad

Main Course

For a June 2011 birthday tea I used the the petal dishes as patriotic stars, since my friend's birthday was between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.

The star bowls came from the dollar store and were perfect for the chilled strawberry soup.

I'm joining Bernideen's Tea Time blog today for "Friends Sharing Tea."

Visiting Sweet Shalom Tea Room

After much perseverance [seven years to be exact], Sweet Shalom Tea Room  in Sylvania, Ohio finally moved into its own place, and what a beautiful place it is! 

The 140 year old farm house was enlarged and remodeled in Queen Anne style in the late 1800's.  The gazebo porch was added in 1920.  In 1999, the house was saved from demolition and moved to its current site when the Kruse & Velasquez families purchased it and restored it to its original beauty.  

Owners, Chris Kruse and Sara Velasquez are pictured below, but running the tea room is a family affair.  Chris' son, Ethan is in charge of brewing the tea, and Sara's daughter, Libby,  a culinary school graduate, is the tea room's chef.

My girlfriend, Sandy, and I enjoying Afternoon Tea at Sweet Shalom.

A yummy, unique pinwheel scone. 

No one ever leaves Sweet Shalom hungry, and the food is always presented so artistically!

 

Tiered server with sandwiches and desserts.

 

I returned again in 2006 for a Jane Austen tea, in 2007 for a Tasha Tudor tea, and in 2009 for the theme,  "Tea, the Jewel of India."   I'm long overdue for a return visit, and will have to call for a reservation soon!    I highly recommend this tea room.